1And the children of Israel set out, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan across from Jericho. 2Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the presence of the children of Israel. 4And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5And he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to summon him, saying: Behold, a people has come from Egypt. Behold, they cover the eye of the earth, and are staying next to me! 6Therefore please come, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail and strike them and drive them out of the land, for I have perceived that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed. 7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviner's fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. 8And he said to them, Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as Jehovah speaks to me. So the rulers of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9And God came to Balaam and said, Who are these men with you? 10And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the eye of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall prevail to wage war and drive them out. 12And God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed. 13And Balaam arose in the morning and said to the rulers of Balak, Go back to your land, for Jehovah has refused to give me permission to go with you. 14And the rulers of Moab arose and went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuses to come with us. 15And Balak again sent rulers, more numerous and more honorable than they. 16And they came to Balaam and said to him, Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me; 17for I will honor you with great honor, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me. 18And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the mouth of Jehovah my God, to do less or more. 19Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what more Jehovah will say to me. 20And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, If the men have come to summon you, arise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do. 21And Balaam arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the rulers of Moab. 22And God's anger burned because he went, and the Angel of Jehovah stationed Himself in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants with him. 23And the donkey saw the Angel of Jehovah standing in the way with His sword drawn in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. 24And the Angel of Jehovah stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25And when the donkey saw the Angel of Jehovah, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; so he struck her some more. 26And the Angel of Jehovah went farther, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27And when the donkey saw the Angel of Jehovah, she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam's anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28And Jehovah opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times? 29And Balaam said to the donkey, Because you have been cruel to me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you! 30And the donkey said to Balaam, Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Has it ever been my habit to do this to you? And he said, No. 31Then Jehovah opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of Jehovah standing in the way with His sword drawn in His hand; and he bowed down and prostrated himself on his face. 32And the Angel of Jehovah said to him, Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary against you, because your way is perverse before Me. 33The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely now I would have killed you, and let her live. 34And Balaam said to the Angel of Jehovah, I have sinned, for I did not know You were standing in the way against me. Now therefore, if it has been displeasing to Your eye, I will turn back. 35And the Angel of Jehovah said to Balaam, Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak. So Balaam went with the rulers of Balak. 36And when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is in the territory at the Arnon, at the border of the territory. 37And Balak said to Balaam, Did I not reach out to send for you, to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not truly able to honor you? 38And Balaam said to Balak, Behold, I have come to you. Now, am I able at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak. 39And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth. 40And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the rulers who were with him. 41And it was the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he might observe the extent of the people.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 BALAK'S FIRST MESSAGE FOR BALAAM REFUSED. (Num. 22:1-20)
Israel . . . pitched in the plains of Moab--so called from having formerly belonged to that people, though wrested from them by Sihon. It was a dry, sunken, desert region on the east of the Jordan valley, opposite Jericho.
2 Balak--that is, "empty." Terrified (
Deut 2:25;
Exod 15:15) at the approach of so vast a multitude and not daring to encounter them in the field, he resolved to secure their destruction by other means.
4 elders of Midian--called kings (
Num 31:8) and princes (
Josh 13:21). The Midianites, a distinct people on the southern frontier of Moab, united with them as confederates against Israel, their common enemy.
5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam--that is, "lord" or "devourer" of people, a famous soothsayer (
Josh 13:22).
son of Beor--or, in the Chaldee form, Bosor--that is, "destruction."
Pethor--a city of Mesopotamia, situated on the Euphrates.
6 Come . . . curse me this people--Among the heathen an opinion prevailed that prayers for evil or curses would be heard by the unseen powers as well as prayers for good, when offered by a prophet or priest and accompanied by the use of certain rites. Many examples are found in the histories of the Greeks and Romans of whole armies being devoted to destruction, and they occur among the natives of India and other heathen countries still. In the Burmese war, magicians were employed to curse the British troops.
7 the elders of Moab and . . . of Midian departed with the rewards of divination--like the fee of a fortune teller, and being a royal present, it would be something handsome.
8 Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me, &c.--God usually revealed His will in visions and dreams; and Balaam's birth and residence in Mesopotamia, where the remains of patriarchal religion still lingered, account for his knowledge of the true God. His real character has long been a subject of discussion. Some, judging from his language, have thought him a saint; others, looking to his conduct, have described him as an irreligious charlatan; and a third class consider him a novice in the faith, who had a fear of God, but who had not acquired power over his passions [HENGSTENBERG].
13 the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you--This answer has an appearance of being good, but it studiously concealed the reason of the divine prohibition [
Num 22:12], and it intimated his own willingness and desire to go--if permitted. Balak despatched a second mission, which held out flattering prospects, both to his avarice and his ambition (
Gen 31:30).
19 tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more--The divine will, as formerly declared, not being according to his desires, he hoped by a second request to bend it, as he had already bent his own conscience, to his ruling passions of pride and covetousness. The permission granted to Balaam is in accordance with the ordinary procedure of Providence. God often gives up men to follow the impulse of their own lusts; but there is no approval in thus leaving them to act at the prompting of their own wicked hearts (
Josh 13:27).
21 THE JOURNEY. (Num. 22:21-41)
Balaam . . . saddled his ass--probably one of the white sprightly animals which persons of rank were accustomed to ride. The saddle, as usually in the East, would be nothing more than a pad or his outer cloak.
22 God's anger was kindled because he went--The displeasure arose partly from his neglecting the condition on which leave was granted him--namely, to wait till the princes of Moab "came to call him" [
Num 22:20], and because, through desire for "the wages of unrighteousness" [
2Pet 2:15], he entertained the secret purpose of acting in opposition to the solemn charge of God.
24 the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards--The roads which lead through fields and vineyards are so narrow that in most parts a man could not pass a beast without care and caution. A stone or mud fence flanks each side of these roads, to prevent the soil being washed off by the rains.
28 the Lord opened the mouth of the ass--to utter, like a parrot, articulate sounds, without understanding them. That this was a visionary scene is a notion which seems inadmissible, because of the improbability of a vision being described as an actual occurrence in the middle of a plain history. Besides, the opening of the ass's mouth must have been an external act, and that, with the manifest tenor of Peter's language, strongly favors the literal view [
2Pet 2:15-16]. The absence of any surprise at such a phenomenon on the part of Balaam may be accounted for by his mind being wholly engrossed with the prospect of gain, which produced "the madness of the prophet" [
2Pet 2:16]. "It was a miracle, wrought to humble his proud heart, which had to be first subjected in the school of an ass before he was brought to attend to the voice of God speaking by the angel" [CALVIN].
34 I have sinned . . . if it displease thee, I will get me back again--Notwithstanding this confession, he evinced no spirit of penitence, as he speaks of desisting only from the outward act. The words "go with the men" was a mere withdrawal of further restraint, but the terms in which leave was given are more absolute and peremptory than those in
Num 22:20.
36 when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him--Politeness requires that the higher the rank of the expected guest, greater distance is to be gone to welcome his arrival.
38 the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak--This appears a pious answer. It was an acknowledgment that he was restrained by a superior power.
39 Kirjath-huzoth--that is, "a city of streets."
40 Balak offered oxen and sheep--made preparations for a grand entertainment to Balaam and the princes of Midian.
41 high places of Baal--eminences consecrated to the worship of Baal-peor (see on
Num 25:3) or Chemosh.